Raison D'être
by fYr3 ph03nix
Summary: The Third Silent Melody: His eyes were a beautiful shade of purple but it somehow made him seem unapproachable and distant yet at the same time, they were captivating. AU, DemyxZexion main Updated 09/06/08  ABANDONED
1. The First Silent Melody: Prelude

**Title: **Raison D'être  
**Fandom: **Kingdom Hearts/Chain of Memories/Kingdom Hearts II  
**Disclaimer: **Don't own (unfortunately) so don't sue 'cause you won't get much.  
**Pairings: **DemyxZexion, AkuRoku and more. . .  
**Genre: **angst/drama/romance  
**Type: **chapter fic  
**Rating: **R/NC-17  
**Other Notes: **AU, non-con/rape, violence, swearing, forced prostitution, lemon/lime  
**Summary:**_I'll help you find your reason to live__, or I'll become it for you._**  
AN: **Wow, this took me awhile to finish. I dunno why. I got all revved up to write then I lost interest. It was a gruesome cycle. XD haha, anyway. I guess this is a 'teaser' of sorts. If I don't get good feedback on this, I'll just end it here and write for myself (mwa ha ha), so comments and constructive criticism are very welcome! Also, I won't lie and say that I'll have an update on so and so day 'cause quite frankly I don't keep writing dates very well. So in other words, if I am continuing this fic, I will be updating whenever I can so DON'T bug me about updating. Oh and this'll be the only chapter that will be in first person POV. The rest will be in third. )

_**Raison D'**__**ê**__**tre**_

**The First Silent Melody: ****Prelude**

I gritted my teeth as another costumer defiled my body. How many times already has this happened? Too many times to count. The man above me thrust one more time before he came and tugged hard at my arousal. I let out an involuntary gasp and also climaxed much to my chagrin. He collapsed on top of me and I let out a low growl of disapproval. However, there was not much I could do about it. He was my client and had to treat him as such, even if I had to force my generosity. I shifted a little under his weight and said in a disinterested voice, "Your time is almost up."

"Mm. Would it be too much trouble if I stayed a little longer?" He rolled off me and pulled me close while I forced myself to hide my look of disgust. "Please," he whispered.

I rolled my eyes; not like I could say no. "All right." How long he held me, I didn't know, though I was partially afraid that he had fallen asleep. If he had, my boss would throw a fit when he found out and lecture me about wasted time and money lost. I knew this lecture by heart. He recites it at least once every two weeks, sometimes throwing in a reminder on who was in charge though he need not do so as I knew the hierarchy of this place fairly well.

Glancing down at my client, I realized that he wasn't all that bad looking: dark hair framing his angular face, hazel eyes, and an eyebrow piercing. If we had met under different circumstances, we might have been friends. But really, that didn't change anything. I still felt dirty and used and wanted nothing more than to slip out of his loose embrace and wash the grime and cum off of my body. Slowly, I lifted myself up on my hands and slid away from his over encompassing warmth. He looked up at me and I said bluntly, "You should go."

He nodded and gathered his clothes strewn across the floor. I sat on the edge of the bed, watching him silently. When he finally left the room, we didn't even acknowledge each other, which was to be expected. I sighed, thankful for a moment's reprieve. Stretching, I stood up and padded over to the drawer to the right of the bed, pulled out a small rucksack and extracted street clothes. I donned those before I stuffed my "work" clothes in and zipped the bag closed. Every night I would stash a sweater and jeans somewhere in the room so I wouldn't have to return home clad in highly constricting leather. I didn't want to draw any more attention to me than needed.

Finally, I shouldered my bag and exited the suffocating room and headed towards the lobby of the building. I wanted to get out of this place as quickly as possible, and hopefully no one will realize that I left an hour early. Stepping out into the street, I started my trek into a more reputable area of the city to hail a taxi. The night air was dry and dense with the fumes from the nearby factories. Even though I have lived in Hollow Bastion for most of my life, I will never be able to fully embrace this city as my "home". There were too many memories buried here that I would much rather forget.

Up ahead, the downtown district slowly came into view and I immediately hailed down the first cab that came into sight. The ride to my apartment took only ten minutes and I found myself eager to take a shower. I glanced at the meter on the dashboard of the car and tossed out a bill and tersely said to the driver that he could keep the change. Quickly exiting the vehicle and stepping onto the sidewalk, I watched the cab drive away before I headed for the entrance to the building before me. I nodded curtly to the portly security guard and headed up the stairs to the third floor, turned left, and paused at the second door. Pulling my keys out of my bag, I inserted it into the keyhole and pushed my way into the flat. I sighed and let my bag drop at my feet before kicking the door closed. Suddenly a massive weight lifted from my shoulders and I slumped against the door, letting my body slide down to the floor.

I sat there for awhile, simply staring out into space. For some reason, tonight was exhausting—more so than usual. My body started to ache, especially between my legs. Perhaps I had ignored the pain and now that I was in the comfort of my own home, everything came crashing down on me.

So much for comfort.

I gritted my teeth in disgust and pain and hauled myself to the bathroom dragging my bag with me. Somehow I managed to strip my clothes off and shower without any mishaps. My body was just so fatigued I was amazed that I was still standing. Toweling myself off, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror. I paused for a moment and blankly stared at my image. A thin nineteen year old, not quite five feet, with dyed, damp hair falling over one eye stared blandly back with deep lavender-colored irises. My upper body wasn't exactly scrawny but I wasn't toned, either. Just. . . average. Many a customer had commented on my legs and how feminine they looked. I never had anything to say to that. I never really said anything to my customers. My eyed raked casually over the blemishes flecked across my body. Thankfully, I rarely had bruises on my neck. If I was careless enough to allow a customer to mark me, I would simply cover it with the make-up laid out on my drawer. Then my eyes flicked down to my wrists. Of course, how could I ever forget those scars? They'll always be there, a painful and obvious reminder of what my "job" once led me to do. I clenched my fists and the whiteness of the scars shone brighter against my cream colored skin. No, I'll never forget.

I closed my eyes for a moment to clear my mind. Once I was composed again, I finished drying myself and grabbed a tube of ointment from the medicine cabinet. I squeezed a decent amount on my finger and gently applied it to my still raw opening. It stung, but I knew that it would help the healing in the long run. I sighed and dressed in simple sweatpants and a baggy shirt; my movements were growing more and more lethargic. Finally, I exited the lavatory and found that I was no longer alone. I blinked stupidly a couple of times before my guest spoke tartly.

"Insubordination."

It took longer than usual for me to come up with a reply. "I would not have made much more money if I had stayed."

"You are still obligated to stay until your shift ended."

Shifts. It was as if it was any other normal job. How revolting. "Maybe so, but I am sure you are used to my disobedience, are you not? Sir." I added as an afterthought.

Those amber eyes narrowed and glared me down. "I do not need to tell you again who is in charge, do I, Zexion?"

"No, of course not," I replied sarcastically. "I only hear it every month or so."

"Double shifts next week," he snapped, "And don't you dare think about skipping out on them." His eyes were mere slits and I knew he was serious.

I nodded, albeit reluctantly, but I knew what he could do and I decided to back down this time.

He smirked and turned to leave. "I'll know, Zexion. Have a good week."

When he left, it felt as if all the energy left in my body dispersed and I almost crumpled into a heap onto the floor. I clutched onto the door frame to keep myself up and muttered sourly under my breath, "Love you too, Uncle Xemnas."

I staggered to my bed and practically collapsed onto the clean smelling sheets. Suddenly my eyes felt so heavy, I could barely keep them open. Before I succumbed to the inviting darkness, I vaguely wondered how Xemnas always knew whether or not I was at work or not. The thought quickly left my mind when I finally fell into oblivion.

—————————

Please review! I would like to have _some_ reviews (is ten per chapter asking for too much?) if I am to continue this. Much thanks


	2. The Second Silent Melody: Overture

**Title: **Raison D'être

**Fandom: **Kingdom Hearts/Chain of Memories/Kingdom Hearts II

**Disclaimer: **Don't own, don't sue.

**Pairing(s): **DemyxZexion, AkuRoku and more. . .

**Genre: **angst/drama/romance

**Type: **chapter fic

**Rating: **R/NC-17

**A/N:** I apologize for the long long wait for this. Nearly a year, huh? Meh. Also, happy 08/08/08. It's still Friday here so I can say it. XD Anyway, I'll keep this short and I'll see you folks at the end of the chapter. I hope you like. :)

_**Raison D'**__**ê**__**tre**_

**The Second Silent Melody: Overture**

Zexion slowly came out of his slumber but immediately winced and snapped his eyes shut because of the bright light filtering into his room. He groaned and rolled over onto his back. Squinting up at the ceiling, his eyes gradually adjusted to the sunlight and he forced his eyes to open fully. He mentally chided himself for sleeping with his contacts again though it wasn't the first time, and he knew that it certainly would not be the last. His mind wandered for awhile as he slipped in and out of consciousness.

Finally, he hauled his lead-like body out of bed and dragged himself to the bathroom. Once he reached the sink, he grabbed his contact case and solution and peeled them off his eyes. He looked into the mirror, and instead of lavender irises, deep cobalt blue stared back at him but the color was just as intense, just as captivating, just as. . . cold as its former counterpart. He turned away from his reflection, found his glasses with a bit of rummaging, and pushed them onto the bridge of his nose.

Zexion easily slipped into his usual morning routine and was sitting on his couch nibbling a toast twenty minutes later while sipping a cup of black coffee. He frowned when a voice flitted back into his mind.

_Double shifts next week._

Well, that was just wonderful. Surely that would mean he would have to be at work until sunrise. That was never something to rejoice about. After about two in the morning, it was one of the worst shifts to have as the drunkards usually stumbled in at that time and they had to be one of the most unpleasant types of customers. Aside from the sadistic ones, the drunks were second. He glowered at the toast in his hand; he was starting to wonder whether or not it was worth skipping the rest of his shift last night for the punishment he had received. Probably not. Thinking back on it, it was actually a very stupid thing to do. Zexion growled and downed the rest of his breakfast. There wasn't anything he could do about it. He'd have to do it or who knows what Xemnas would do to him. A shiver ran down his spine just thinking about it. No, he mustn't be insubordinate for awhile.

_I'll know, Zexion._

Zexion stared blankly at his plate, having discarded his mug on the coffee table next to the couch. _How_ did he always know? To be completely honest, he thought it was downright creepy. He remembered he had tried to run away once and within a day, he was found and dragged back to that infernal prison. His punishment then was the worse by far. He couldn't sit or walk properly for days and that was the last time he had cried and begged so blatantly. After that incident, he became stronger and swore to himself that he would never drop down to that level ever again. He glanced down to the white scars on his wrists; he was younger then. Now he believed himself to be a little wiser but it didn't ease the pain in the slightest.

Even though he never attempted an escape again, Xemnas somehow _always_ knew whether or not he was at work or skiving off. Really, there _had _to be something he was doing for him to know. When Zexion first found out that Xemnas knew where he was 24/7, he had, half in paranoia, searched his entire flat for any cameras or wireless bugs. He had come up with nothing and let himself relax a little. It was still infuriating, not knowing, but he eventually buried it in the back of his mind. Surely it was nothing to be concerned about.

His breakfast long since finished, Zexion got up, downed the rest of his drink, and padded to the kitchen sink where he deposited his plate of crumbs and empty cup. He needed to go to the grocery store soon; the pantry and refrigerator were nearly empty from neglect. He fetched the newspaper which was slipped under his door earlier that morning and started to make a list of groceries he would buy later that day. Maybe after his morning job, and this one he actually enjoyed thank God, he would do his shopping. He jotted down everything he planned on buying, slipped the paper in his wallet, and glanced at the clock; it was almost time to head down to the bookstore.

Walking over to his closet, he pulled out black slacks and a white dress shirt. Simple and casual, yet still with some class. He quickly donned them and put on his black work shoes. Before he left, he made sure to pull on his wristbands, effectively concealing the scars underneath. With everything he needed in hand, he exited his flat without a backwards glance.

————————————————————————————————————

"Glasses again, I see," Aerith smiled. "Difficult night?"

"I guess you could say that." Zexion replied.

"You know you can always take a break if you need to; don't push yourself too hard." She tilted her head to the side, her eyes shining knowingly, "Okay?"

He gave her a slight smile, "Thank you, Aeirth."

She nodded kindly and turned her attention back to the book in her hands. Really, he didn't know what he would have done without her. Aerith was kind-hearted and uncannily sharp; one of the reasons why she knew of his predicament in the first place. Though he always took special care to watch what he said and clean up his appearance, Aerith somehow figured it out despite all of his caution. At first, he was a little worried that she would go to the police but she simply asked him for his side of the story. He found no point in lying to her if she had figured out so much already so he told her everything. Instead of berating him, she offered her sympathy and help and support. He was apprehensive at first but he eventually accepted her kindness and gave her his trust. Zexion was actually glad that there was at least one other person who understood him.

Though _how_ she found out was still a mystery in itself. Whenever he asked her about it, she would simply smile and say something completely unrelated. It frustrated him at first, but he eventually realized that she was never going to tell him and he finally stopped trying. Even so, Zexion knew that despite some of her secrets, he could trust her and she would always be there for him if he ever needed someone to lean on.

It was an odd feeling. He hadn't felt compassion like this since his cousin passed away years ago and his guilt from that incident still hadn't ceased from his mind. And Xemnas, in all his evil manipulating glory, would use that guilt against him. Zexion knew full well what Xemnas was doing when he brought his cousin into conversation, and he was also pretty sure that Xemnas knew _he_ knew. This made Zexion vaguely wonder why he still always took the bait.

_Well, probably because you still blame yourself for his death._

That, unfortunately, was true. Zexion still couldn't get past the guilt that weighed down on his shoulders, the darkness that enveloped and blinded him from breaking free of his prison.And Xemnas used it to his full advantage. When Zexion thought about it, his cousin would have never let himself sink this low. _He _would have fought tooth and nail until he was either dead or released because of his tenacity and pure gall. What would he say if he saw Zexion now?

Probably laugh at his weakness and tease him into oblivion. And maybe Zexion would have appreciated that over anything else since hearing his voice and lame jokes again would ease his heart a little and perhaps Zexion would be able to draw some strength from that alone. Maybe. One can only hope.

"Zexion?"

The slate-haired teen looked up, shaken out of his thoughts. His eyes met deep blue and the blonde girl smiled, "You were zoning out again. Must've been at least ten minutes; you haven't moved from that bookshelf in ages."

A slightly abashed look crossed his face and Naminé laughed, a light, cheery sound that made anyone feel at ease when heard. "Forgive me. I didn't sleep well last night."

Naminé simply smiled and nodded. Something in her eyes made him believe that she and Aerith shared the same clairvoyance and Naminé knew exactly what was bothering him. Shaking it off, he gave a small, albeit weak, smile in return and said, "Has anyone checked the new stock yet?"

The blonde shook her head, "No, no one's done it yet."

Zexion nodded, pivoted, and headed towards the back of the store. He only took a couple of steps before he was stopped by that light voice again.

"Zexion?"

He turned and raised an eyebrow in question.

She smiled again and said serendipitously, "Something is about to change in your life. I can feel it."

Confused, but hiding it well under his mask of indifference, Zexion simply stared at her a moment longer then walked away. He pulled open the employee door, searched for the stocks clipboard, and started to tally, intent on getting Naminé's mysterious words out of his head. If this mundane task didn't get his mind off of things, then he was surely in more trouble than he thought he was. And he hoped it wasn't so. Because he had no idea what he was going to do about it.

————————————————————————————————————

After spending hours in the stock room doing nothing but accounting for their arsenal of tomes, Aerith practically forced Zexion to take a break and shoved him out of the bookstore, ordering him to get some lunch and not to return until well after an hour. Rather disgruntled, Zexion reluctantly did what he was told and sat munching on a sandwich in a courtyard a few minutes later. When he was finished, he decided to do his grocery shopping since he had more than half-an-hour to kill.

Afterwards, he dropped off his baggage back in his apartment and quickly put everything in order before hurrying back to the bookstore. He stopped a block away from the store and took a moment to contemplate. It was a quaint little place, nestled between a boutique and a florist. It was actually more like an antique bookstore than anything but it did stock many contemporary titles as well.

Zexion found the place comforting; it had a warm, glowing atmosphere that made it like home. Yes, _Bookkeeper's Secrets _was his home. Of course it was. He could never call his flat his home. Indeed, it was a place to return to, a place to rest after a tiring day, but it wasn't _home. _Home was somewhere you could feel security and peace, not anguish and resentment. His apartment held nothing but contempt and bitterness. It was a cold, dreary place; a place he would much rather have nothing to do with.

But Aerith's store, now that was another matter entirely. Belonging, acceptance. . . both Aerith and Naminé gave him that and then some. Then there was Olette who was a rather sweet girl and tolerable enough for Zexion to respect and even like her. And Leon. . . well, Leon was just as silent, if not more so, than Zexion was and they usually let each other go on their way without a word. They regarded each other in silence and nothing else needed to be exchanged save a slight nod of the head, a quirk of an eyebrow or a twitch of the lip.

As far as he was concerned, this was home.

Zexion pulled his mind out of its wandering and trotted the rest of the way to the store. To his surprise, instead of Aerith at the register, it was Leon. When he shot the brunet a questioning look, Leon looked up towards the loft which was where Aerith kept her collection of quirky items. She liked to collect random, yet valuable, objects. Many of them were books she found hidden in her very own store. Why she wanted them and what she did with them, none of the employees knew and they never pried. Aerith certainly was a character, but one to be trusted and revered.

The slate-haired man shrugged nonchalantly and headed again to the stock room; he really didn't want to deal with customers today. But Naminé had beaten him to it. She was nearly done and when she turned to face him, she gave him a faux apologetic smile. He huffed in feigned annoyance and sauntered back out onto the floor with Naminé trailing behind moments later. He supposed he could deal with people for a little while.

How very wrong he was.

The one day he wanted peace and quiet, the most irritating, loudest girls had to barrel in, giggling like maniacs, casting both him and Leon appraising looks. Zexion growled under his breath. How is it that there can be completely likeable girls like Aerith, Naminé, and Olette and then there were those who grated on his nerves until they were in danger of fraying. One of them even had the gall to sidle up to him and start fluttering her eyelashes and talking to him in what he assumed supposed to be a seductive and simpering voice. But Zexion was not amused, or taken in for that matter, at all. Naminé shot him sympathetic yet amused looks while Leon was just as annoyed as he was.

When Aerith finally came down from the loft, the girls made themselves scarce, apparently intimidated, and eventually left to the relief of both aggravated males.

"Zexion?" He turned and Aerith held out a clenched fist, palm facing down. "I want you to have this."

A heavy bronze object fell into the palm of his hand and Zexion brought it closer to his face to examine it. It was a medium sized padlock and it looked rather ancient. The keyhole of the lock was not on the bottom but on one of the faces. Its color was dull and it had no special markings or engravings whatsoever. Overall, it was nothing extraordinary. Attached to the lock was a thick silver chain just wide enough to fit over his head. Confused, Zexion looked up and met Aerith's eyes.

"What—"

"You'll know when the time comes," Aerith cut him off. He sighed inwardly; again with those cryptic messages. But he supposed that he ought to trust her, as Aerith was almost always right. So he simply nodded and put it on, the metal cold against his chest. Aerith smiled. "You may leave early if you like, Zexion."

A little reluctant to return to his flat, yet desperately in need of some rest, he eventually accepted Aerith's offer and was strolling down the street towards the same courtyard he had his lunch. He stopped abruptly when he smelt the delicious aroma of roasted coffee beans.

Coffee was a vice of his; the smell alone would make his head turn and mouth water. His eyes scanned the area and landed on simple peddler with a cart stand. He inched closer. Did he want to try a cup of this old man's coffee? Yes, he most certainly did. But did he really need to? No, of course he didn't _need_ to. But when was he ever going to see this man again? He was obviously a traveler and might be gone by tomorrow. And it just smelt so _good_!

He was startled out of his internal debate when a cup of the subject of the aforementioned debate appeared suddenly under his nose. Instinctively, he took it, and looked up to the person standing before him. Taller than him, dirty blond hair in a style he couldn't quite put his finger on, and the most striking sea-green eyes he had ever seen.

The stranger grinned and said in a cheery voice, "It seems you wanted some but couldn't quite come to a decision. Just thought I'd make it for you." Then he waved and dashed away. Zexion had enough sense in him to whip around to watch the blond running to the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. Zexion watched as he shrugged a guitar case off and over his shoulder and sat down next to a shorter spiky haired blond. They conversed for awhile while the dirty blond took out his guitar fiddled with the strings. Then he smiled and laughed which was music in itself.

Still in somewhat of a confused daze, Zexion took a sip of the coffee the stranger bestowed him, and the cup froze at his lips. He swallowed then slowly brought the cup down. It was bitter, just the way he liked it. But it had a somewhat sweet, lingering after-taste that he couldn't quite describe. It was different, yet not unpleasant. Strange, but lovely.

Zexion pursed his lips and frowned, another argument slowly forming within his mind. He didn't quite know what to think of it; the coffee or the dirty-blond stranger. He was intrigued by this guitarist yet. . .

Yet, what?

Nothing, really. Zexion sighed then lifted his gaze so it fell on the musician again. He had slowly started to play and was mouthing silent words to the melody. Then he smiled and started to strum louder and sing.

Zexion took a step forward and moved towards the fountain until he was standing in front of the stranger's pitiful looking tin can. He quickly dug out some cash from his pockets and tossed it into the can, noticing out of the corner of his eye the friend raise a questioning eyebrow. Upon hearing the clanking of the coins, the dirty blond looked up and surprise flashed across his face before a grin replaced it. He continued to play, not even stumbling over the lyrics, his ocean-green eyes locked on Zexion's cobalt blue, and Zexion cocked a brow in challenge. Before the song ended and the blond had a chance to speak, Zexion turned heel and walked away.

He stopped in front of his apartment door and took anther sip of the now lukewarm coffee. Then a small smile made his way to his lips, a genuine one, before he unlocked the door and stepped into his flat.

————————————————————————————————————

The following day wasn't nearly as interesting as the previous one and Zexion was actually a little disappointed. He shook his head and mentally reprimanded himself. An idiot, that's what he was becoming. A complete idiot. He sighed and pushed the memory of the peddler's coffee and the dirty-blond musician away before getting back to the task at hand.

If Aerith had noticed his distraction, she didn't say anything, but she did let him off early again. A bit disgruntled but compliant, he left the store early and found himself at the courtyard again. What in the hell was he doing here? His eyes involuntarily darted to the fountain. But the stranger from the day before wasn't there. Of course he wasn't. What else could he have expected?

Growling low in his throat, he trudged along the cobblestone walkway, unheeding of where he was going. Until he passed by a little café down a side street he had coincidentally turned down. Shrugging, figuring that he had extra time on his hands, he went in and sat down at a nice little niche in the corner by the window.

And he ordered a cup of coffee.

But it didn't come anywhere near as memorable as the peddler's. He slowly let out a breath through his nose; he really had to get his mind off of this. It was so insignificant. He should be thinking about more important things.

Like what?

Well, maybe about the lovely opportunity that his wonderful uncle bestowed upon him a couple of days ago. Or maybe he shouldn't think about _anything. _Mulling over a problem that he knew he had no solution to was really very pointless. Zexion sighed.

But of course that didn't stop him from thinking about the problem anyway. Now that it was brought to the forefront, he couldn't let go of this particular situation he had landed himself in. Yes, it was his fault, and yes he did expect a punishment but he hadn't really thought about the repercussions while he was being a genius.

He hated what his life had become. He wanted so badly to break out of it but doing so would probably jeopardize his very own existence. If Zexion went to the officials and told them how his uncle had treated him for the past five years, Xemnas would either hire people to hunt him down or he would do it himself and Zexion would never have a moment's rest. Then of course there was the huge guilt complex he had with his deceased cousin.

One more year, he would tell himself. Just one more year and he would be twenty. That was his salvation; free to do whatever he wanted, to up and move away from Hollow Bastion and start a new life for himself. A _real_ life. And Xemnas would never find him or lay a hand on him again.

Right?

He worried the bottom of his lip as the thought of Xemnas' ubiquity came to mind. Would he still be able to track Zexion down even if he were out of town? But then that would make turning twenty mean absolutely nothing.

Zexion sighed again and started when he suddenly realized that he had been staring at ocean green eyes for a good minute or so. _Familiar _ocean-green eyes. Startled, he blinked a couple of times in rapid succession to clear his vision but those eyes were still there. The guitarist from the day before grinned at Zexion and he stiffened, before the blond was promptly distracted by the same spiky haired teen who sat beside him and Zexion let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Seizing his opportunity, Zexion threw some munny on the table, quickly stood up, and slipped out of the café unnoticed.

————————————————————————————————————

**A/N: **So? I kind of doubt it was worth the nearly year-long wait. But one can only hope.

Okay, I'd like to remind everyone that YES, I know that Demyx plays the sitar but for the sake of this story, he'll play the guitar instead.

As for Zexion's past and who the mysterious cousin is. . . /whistles/ You'll find out! But only if I actually finish writing this bugger, haha. /sweats/ But nevertheless, reviews make me happy and it tells me that my writing is appreciated so please please please review. I'll give you cookies. :3


	3. The Third Silent Melody: Aria

**Title: **Raison D'être**  
Fandom: **Kingdom Hearts/Chain of Memories/Kingdom Hearts II**  
Disclaimer: **I unfortunately do not own Kingdom Hearts. I also do not own the three songs used in this chapter. They belong to Alice Nine and PSCompany or whoever the hell owns it.**  
Pairing(s): **DemyxZexion, AkuRoku, RikuSora and more. . .**  
Genre: **angst/drama/romance**  
Type: **chapter fic**  
Rating: **R/NC-17**  
A/N:** Yaaaay, happy 9/6 day, everyone! I'm so proud of myself that I actually finished this on the day I was aiming for. :D

Replies to my anonymous reviewers:

**KillCraving—**I hope that this chapter is up to your standards. :D Thanks for dropping a review!

**Snowdrop—**Wow, you actually took the time to review each chapter! I feel honored! :) Hope you enjoy this chapter.

So anyway, additional author notes will be at the end.

_**Raison D'**__**ê**__**tre  
**_

**The Third Silent Melody: Aria**

"Demyx!"

The blond turned and grinned when he saw a tall redhead wave at him from across the crowded hallway. He waited for his friend to wade through the sea of students and had to suppress his amusement at the disgruntled look on his face when he was finally standing in front of him.

"Geez, I don't understand why there are still so many people here. You'd think that everyone would make their schedule so they're out by two or something but noooo. . ."

Demyx laughed and resumed walking, "Well, Axel, if you hadn't noticed, _you're _still here, too. What does that say about you?"

Axel opened his mouth to retaliate then decided against it and shut it again. "Point," he said. "So what're you up to?"

"I think I'm gonna head over to the piazza," Demyx jerked his head towards the guitar on his back, "Roxas said he'd be there, too, so we'll see what we can do."

Axel groaned, "Damnit, I would join you but my brother's coming in to visit tonight."

Demyx gave the redhead a sympathetic smile, "Well, family comes first, right?"

He rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, yeah. . ." They had reached the entrance of their university and he looked to be contemplating something. "How long d'you think you'll be staying there?"

The blond shrugged, "I dunno. Why, planning on ditching Reno?" He asked teasingly.

Axel smirked, "No, but now that you mention it. . ."

"_Axel._" Demyx shot him a half-hearted glare.

He threw his head back and laughed, "Don't worry, Dem, I won't," he managed between chuckles, "No matter how irritating Reno can be, you know I wouldn't."

Demyx rolled his eyes, "Yeah, well I can never really tell with you."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"No, not really."

Axel shoved him playfully, making Demyx stumble and earning him a real glare. "I'll see you later then." And he was off, jogging through the parking lot to his car. Demyx sighed and shook his head, a smile on his lips. Really, Axel was probably the one who kept him sane. He was also the comic relief whenever Demyx was struggling with his music. His smile grew wider as he headed in the opposite direction his friend ran off in.

When he thought about it, if it weren't for Axel, Demyx never would have followed through in putting together a band. Demyx had his own insecurities and Axel had talked him through them. And now, though they were still working on making it to the mainstream, the _Faithful Sinners_ played regularly at random reputable yet underground clubs and their popularity was slowly growing.

Demyx had insisted Axel to be the lead singer but he refused, claiming that he would rather jam on his bass and provide vocal backup instead. Axel did agree, however, to the title of 'leader', though it actually didn't give him any more precedence or authority over the band. Demyx would work on the lyrics, Axel and Riku chipping in when needed, and they would then collaborate on the music. He thought that the dynamics of the band were solid and each member had the right to say anything that may be on his mind without fear of being shot down by the others.

The blond looked up and realized that he had already reached the courtyard. He stopped and scanned the vicinity. It had a decent amount of people today and it seemed that Demyx would have a good chance at drawing a crowd. He cocked his head to the side when he noticed a rather short, slate-haired man staring intently at a cart a few feet away from him. He was nibbling his bottom lip in thought in what Demyx supposed was an internal battle over whether or not to get a cup of coffee. His lips curved into a smile and Demyx headed over to the peddler. He ordered a cup and turned to the shorter man. The latter seemed to be in his own world and wasn't paying attention to his surroundings. Demyx held the foam cup in front of the man's face and grinned when the cobalt blue eyes snapped back into focus. He took the cup from him, a startled expression on his face.

"It seems you wanted some but couldn't quite come to a decision. Just thought I'd make it for you." He waved cheerily and headed to the fountain in the middle of the courtyard where Roxas was seated, waiting for him.

"Hey," the spiky haired teen greeted.

"Did you wait long?" Demyx asked while he lifted the strap of the guitar case over his head and seated himself next to Roxas.

Roxas shook his head, "Only a couple of minutes. Axel couldn't make it?"

"No, he said that Reno's coming in to visit tonight and he has to help him out." Demyx unzipped the case and pulled his guitar out and started to strum random chords.

The blond humphed, "It's not like Reno doesn't already know his way around Hollow Bastion. What does he need Axel for except to make him do bitch work?"

Demyx laughed, "Wow, Roxas, bitter much?"

A smirk pulled at the corner of Roxas's lips and Demyx chuckled, continuing to meander through the chords.

He slowly started to pick out a melody and form words of a song. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Roxas kick a beat up old can so it was more or less in front of him. He smiled again and grew more confident as he began to sing.

_A silent puppy abandoned in white sleep,  
Still can't move because I'm connected to the morning_

_The more I think it won't reach, tears start to flow__  
Please don't forget the withering anemone__  
I'll become an unfading butterfly and one day come back to you  
Erase your sadness; I want you to stay unchanging_

_Forget everything; I have no intention to become a memory but,  
If it could cloud around you, I won't even need memories_

When he heard a clatter, he looked up and was startled to see the slate-haired man he bought a cup of coffee for. Without stumbling over his lyrics, he grinned up at the man and continued to sing.

_Even if the season's colors change, stay the way you were__  
The light crimson petals fluttered along the row of cherry blossom trees__  
The moment I climbed the hill of sadness,  
That time, even now, you are unchanged, smiling_

The bespectacled man cocked an eyebrow in challenge. But Demyx didn't take it as he headed into an instrumental and the shorter man turned and walked away. Demyx wanted to stop playing and chase after the stranger but something prevented him from doing so. He sighed, and continued his singing.

_Don't cry; I want to ask you something  
__Please grant me just one selfish wish, just this once__  
The flowers that you and I loved were braided together  
Please let the wreath and I float along the water_

_The gentle melody is slowly letting me recollect to the goodbye of no promise_

_Eternally__  
The more unreachable your thoughts become will make you stronger__  
Please forget the withering anemone  
__Your unfaltering smiling face in whatever times is the you I liked  
Erase your sadness; I want you to stay unchanging_

When he ended his song there were quite a few people gathered around the fountain. Demyx looked over to Roxas who gave him a small smile. The dirty blond returned it then gave his attention to the small audience before them.

"Does anyone have a request?" He asked cheerfully, and just like that, Demyx was sure that tonight was going to be a hit.

————————————————————————————————————

"So who was that guy, Demyx?" Roxas asked as they packed up from their successful night.

"Hmm? What guy?" He asked, distracted.

Roxas rolled his eyes, "Demyx, you know which guy I'm talking about." He took the tin can which was filled to the brim with munny and threw its contents and the can into his bag.

Demyx shrugged his guitar case onto his shoulder and frowned. What guy was Roxas talking abo— Ah. Right. "Oh, I don't know. I just saw him standing near that coffee stand and decided to buy one for him since he seemed to be having trouble deciding."

Roxas raised an eyebrow at him, "Really."

"I'm not _lying_, you know," he said, a little put-out.

"All right, all right," Roxas lifted his hands in surrender, smiling. "Shall we go?" He asked, dropping the subject.

"Yes, let's."

They strolled out of the courtyard, chatting amiably with each other about mindless things. As the night wore on, the image of the slate-haired man was pushed further and further into the back of Demyx's mind and was soon forgotten.

————————————————————————————————————

The following day, Demyx's literature class, his only class of the day, was cancelled. He pouted slightly at the notice on the door, disgruntled. Roxas, who shared the class with him, let out a breath of air, obviously sharing the same sentiment.

He turned to the shorter blond, "You wanna head down to the café near the courtyard to kill time? We have nothing else to do."

Roxas shrugged, "Sure, beats doing nothing for the next hour and a half."

And so it was that the two blonds were seated in a little café which was often overlooked because of its peculiar location. Demyx and Roxas ordered tea and coffee, respectfully, and started to discuss future plans for the band. Though Roxas wasn't actually in the band, he and his older brother Sora were the technical support and make-shift managers. Both of them had the basic knowledge of music but would rather handle the behind the scenes informalities than play before an audience. And of course the band knew that if it weren't for the two brothers, their band wouldn't be doing as well as they were.

"So I understand that you got us a gig at Destati next weekend. How _did_ you do it, anyway?"

"Yes I did get you guys a spot next Saturday at Destati and as for how I did it," Roxas smirked, "I have my ways."

"You and Sora never tell us how you get us in," Demyx pouted, "I'm curious, damnit!"

The spiky haired teen laughed, "It wouldn't be any fun if I told you guys, now would it? Don't worry about it. And yes, my means are totally legit," he added before Demyx could ask.

Demyx chuckled at how Roxas knew what he was going to say. "D'you think we should just play our usual songs or should we compose new ones?"

Roxas shrugged, "I would say a little bit of both. The one you sang yesterday was pretty good. Just flesh that one out and maybe make another one."

"Hmmm. I'm surprised you even got us in Destati. Especially on a Saturday."

"Well you better make the most of it; there'll probably be tons of scouts hanging around."

"Will do, Mr. Manager, sir!" Demyx saluted Roxas who swatted at the other's hand in faux irritation, a light smile on his lips.

"Please don't start acting like Axel."

"And why not? You like the way he acts. . . more or less," he added as an afterthought, laughing, "I was thinking along the lines that if I act more like him, you'd like me more, too."

"No," Roxas deadpanned.

"Aww, but Roxy!!"

Said blond sent a glare the guitarist's way and Demyx shut his mouth but was still grinning. "Speaking of which, how are the two of you? It's been, what, about six months now?"

"Oh we're doing spectacular. Despite the fact that we fight pretty much everyday," Roxas said with sarcasm.

"But that could also lead to hot make-up sex, no?" His grin grew wider.

Roxas sighed and rolled his eyes, "I don't think I want to discuss my sex life with you."

Demyx shrugged nonchalantly leaning back against the chair, "Well, I guess it doesn't matter. Axel'll tell me if I ask."

The spiky haired teen snorted and shook his head, "It still isn't _me _who's saying it."

"Aren't you afraid he'll over-exaggerate?"

"He can make up any confabulations he wants; at least I know the truth."

Demyx laughed loudly, "You know Roxas, sometimes I wonder how you two even get along let alone have a romantic relationship."

The edge of his lip twitched, "Sometimes I wonder, too. Though," he said, also leaning back in his chair, "_He _was the one that wouldn't leave _me_ alone."

Demyx smiled, "Mmm."

Just then Roxas's phone started to ring ostentatiously. He pulled it out of his pocket and gave Demyx a rather sheepish look and Demyx just shook his head and grinned, "Speak of the devil." Demyx heard him growl low in his throat as he flipped the phone open to answer it.

Demyx turned away to give Roxas his privacy and his eyes fell on a figure who looked strangely familiar sitting across the room. It took a moment for him to realize that it was the same slate-haired man from the day before. Once again, he seemed to be lost in thought for he was staring straight at Demyx without really seeing him. Demyx took a moment to study the other man.

He was very handsome with a small stature and an angular chin and high cheek bones. His long bangs fell over his right eye, completely obscuring it from view. He hadn't donned his glasses and Demyx figured that he had opted for contacts today. Demyx also noticed that instead of the cobalt blue from yesterday, the stranger's eyes were violet. It was a beautiful shade of purple but it somehow made him seem unapproachable yet at the same time, it captivated him. They were absolutely mesmerizing and Demyx wondered why that would be.

The stranger was thin, but not overly so, and Demyx could feel the intelligence radiate off of him. But he detected an aura of sadness and concern; his eyebrows were furrowed as if something was bothering him very much but he couldn't quite come to a conclusion to the problem. Curious, as he also seemed to be a rather stoic if not completely nonchalant and apathetic person.

Demyx saw the slate-haired man snap out of his reverie and had to smile. Twice already he had seen this stranger's façade drop just a little and it amused him. Just what could it be that burdened him so?

"Hey, Dem." Demyx turned away from the stranger and focused his attention back on Roxas, "Axel's with Riku right now and I told him about the song you played yesterday. He wants you to head back to school so they can hear it and work it out."

"Yeah, okay. Tell him we'll be there in ten minutes or so."

Roxas nodded and relayed the message over the phone. Demyx glanced back to where the stranger was sitting but he was no longer there. He stared at the empty spot, wondering what about the stranger interested him so. His eyes looked so. . . lonely, lost, guarded. It saddened him to see someone in such a state.

"Dem? Shall we head back?"

Demyx looked back at Roxas and said in his usual, cheerful voice, "Yeah, let's go!"

————————————————————————————————————

The week passed without incidence and the _Faithful Sinners_ were preparing for their performance the following night. They had successfully completed two new songs within the week and were just about to practice a final run through. Demyx fiddled with the cords of his electric guitar as Axel did the same with his bass and Riku adjusted his drum set. Sora and Roxas were speaking in whispers to each other in the corner of the room. Demyx strummed a chord and turned the dials to his liking.

"I'll be frickin' _ecstatic_ if we get signed on with a record company. We'll actually have a _studio_, damnit! I hate practicing in the _band room_."

"We have to take what we have until then, Axel," Riku reprimanded from behind his drums.

The redhead frowned and said nothing while looking intently at his instrument as if something was a little off. Then he suddenly flew into a riff. Demyx laughed, and started to join in. He turned and saw Riku shaking his head, amused, before he too jumped into the fray. They settled on one of their previously written songs and Demyx stepped up to the mic.

_It's midnight monochrome scenery,  
I wished that it would be a brilliant colored mirage_

_The more the colors are spread, it's like a peacock's plumage  
Over and over, the light's magic spiral towards our dreams_

_Paint it to the sky so as to reach you,__  
Draw the show of the century like a miracle,__Resound and travel across the horizon and I'll repaint the darkness  
Within the weaving and overlapping light, I'll dance with you_

_Let's awake from the waking dream  
So let's go, a 2AM revolution_

_If the things we can see are reality, then why are there tears?  
In the back of your falling heart, I'll be singing there_

_Weave my voice so as to reach you  
__Before the dawn, sound the bell of awakening__  
Ready, Go Traverse time Through the dark Now, fly away  
A large ring of flowers that seems to be burning will bloom with you_

_A neon cocktail, the world beyond the glass  
You and I are "taboo", we don't need anything else_

Demyx flowed into his guitar solo for a couple of measures, closing his eyes and letting the music wash over him. He was no longer aware of whom or what was around him; all that existed was him, his guitar, and his music. It was an exhilarating feeling. But he had to come back down and he stepped back into reality to sing the rest of the song.

_Paint it to the sky so as to reach you,__  
Draw the show of the century like a miracle,__  
Resound and travel across the horizon and I'll repaint the darkness  
Within the weaving and overlapping light, I'll dance with you_

_The given name of the profile that was used and discarded is " "_

Another break for Demyx, which was followed closely by Axel's own solo. As the song came to a close, Demyx was breathless; he loved performing and he loved the adrenaline rush. He was sure that Axel and Riku felt the same way.

While the final notes of the song reverberated in the room, the brief silence was broken by an obnoxious applause. Everyone whipped around towards the source and Axel was the first to speak, irritated, "Reno! What the hell are you doing here?"

"You guys aren't half bad," he said, ignoring Axel's question as he sauntered forward.

"Reno," Roxas replied in acknowledgement, albeit a little discontented.

"Yo!" He saluted, grinning.

"What _are _you doing here, Reno?" Sora asked politely.

He shrugged, "Just wanted to see how my little brother was doing, that's all."

Axel snorted, "Right."

"But really," Reno continued, once again ignoring Axel's comment, "You guys aren't that bad yo. Axel, didn't you say something about playing at Destati tomorrow night?"

"Yeeess. . . What of it?"

Reno smirked, "Mind if I bring a couple of my friends?" It was more of a statement than a question. "I'm sure they'd be interested in you guys. . . . What was your band name again?"

"_Faithful Sinners," _Riku said, regarding Reno coolly from behind his sets.

"Hmm, the _Faithful Sinners, _huh?" His smirk seemed to broaden, "I like it. So, I guess I'll see you punks tomorrow," he turned and started walking back towards the door, waving his hand and saying, "Ciao!" before he was gone, just as abruptly as he had appeared.

They were all speechless for awhile. What. . . just happened?

"Wow," Sora started, "Does that mean. . . you guys have a chance to get signed on to the mainstream?" His signature smile started to emerge on his face, "Your brother's awesome, Axel!" He gushed in awed excitement.

Axel crossed his arms in front of his chest and cocked his head to the side, barely suppressing a smile of his own, "Only sometimes."

————————————————————————————————————

The following evening was a smashing hit. They had played their best and the audience was begging for more. The stage lights were boring down on them making them sweat even more than they already were, but they were grinning like idiots, satisfied on how their performance turned out. Demyx turned away from the screaming audience and faced his band members to ask, "You wanna do one more? The one we wrote this past week?"

Riku shrugged in his "sure, I'm up for it" way and Axel's smile grew wider.

"Let's do it."

Demyx laughed then closed his eyes and bowed his head, taking several deep breaths. He knew that Axel and Riku, as well as the audience, were watching him; the latter in anticipation and the former two in rapt attention, waiting for his signal to start.

And he gave it to them. He jumped and twisted in the air to face the front of the stage and ripped through the opening chords of the last song of the night.

_A constantly repeated game of hide and seek  
Is the crossing of light and dark_

_This is the ruling line between you and I,  
The boundary that separates us_

_The running eyeliner made black tears fall  
The light that is reflected in your eyes is the continuing stairway to the sky_

_The moonlight dyes my heart, and it's unwinding around my finger  
Even if eternity fades, freeze this moment_

_In shallow sleep, we're drawing together  
With the painting tools of dreams and thoughts_

_Such is our dance floor  
The overlapping moon is a mirror ball_

_Wishes aren't falling stars, please let it reach you  
If everyone is alone, we wouldn't have met_

_Within the mirror is a rain of stardust to the ever changing seasons  
Before long, light will come from the past to the "morning" so right now is goodbye_

_The hoarse words in the chains of sadness,__  
Called your name and it danced in the heavens  
I'm still calling The sky darkens, and with dirtied wings run through now_

As Demyx played the intermission, he could still hear the screaming fans, but it wasn't important to him. The here, the now, this _band_ and this _song_ was all that existed. Then he stepped back up to the mic.

_No matter how much time passes, and even if our tears dry up,__  
Will this song continue on without dying?  
That time, my wish was for you to stay by my side_

_Before long, even if the moonlight disappears, it'll always be there  
It won't change and it will shine on you, the dream drawn epilogue_

_(You & I are face and back unity  
If you decide to live, I will live, too)_

_Surely, somewhere an injured stray cat looking up at the early evening moon is the same_

The club exploded in roars and shrieks of approval. Demyx swore that if he smiled any wider, his face would break. Axel went up to his microphone and shouted, "Thank you, everyone! Hope you guys had as great a time as we did!" A resounding cheer. "And remember, we are. . ." he paused; then all three of them said together, "the _Faithful Sinners!_" Axel added, "Get it memorized!"

————————————————————————————————————

While they were packing up, Reno came backstage to visit them.

"Yo, bitches. I gotta say that was a pretty fucking awesome performance."

"Thanks, Reno," Demyx smiled, still high on the adrenaline rush.

"So I have some people I want you to meet—"

"Reno, where the hell are you?!" A feminine voice interrupted Reno's speech.

Said redhead sighed, a hand on his hip, "I'm backstage, Larxene!" He called back.

When they gave Reno a confused look, he started to elaborate, "Larxene is an old acquaintance. She and her boyfriend, Marluxia, can probably pull a few strings for you to get signed onto a contract." He grinned and added, "I also know quite a few people who work at Rhapsody's Rapture so I could also see what I can do for you guys."

"Reno, why are you doing this? What's in it for you?" Axel asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Dude, you don't trust your own brother? That hurts, yo!" Axel's gaze didn't falter and Reno surrendered. "You know that I'm a photographer and model for _Crimson Jazz, _right?" He shrugged, "I just feel like I wanna do something else, y'know?"

"So you're gonna be like their manager or something?" Sora asked tentatively. "But then what about me and Roxas?"

"I don't think I can handle the position of 'manager' so you guys can keep that job," he waved his hand in the air as if batting away an irritating bug, "I'm more of an 'agent' if you will," he winked playfully.

"So this is them, huh?" A female voice said, "I admit that they weren't that bad, but they don't look like much."

Demyx could hear Roxas growl warningly, and he discreetly put a hand on his shoulder to remind him not to start anything.

"Larxene," another male voice cut in, "There's no need to be rude."

When the two new people came into view, Demyx didn't quite know what to think of them. The woman was petite with short blonde hair, her bangs flying over her head like two ridiculously long antennae. Then there was the shocking pink. Demyx didn't know that someone's hair could be so flamboyant and he couldn't help but stare a little. Thankfully, Riku still kept his wits together and saved them from embarrassment.

"You must be Larxene and Marluxia. I'm Riku and this is Demyx and Axel, our leader."

Marluxia nodded in acknowledgement, "I also must say that I was rather impressed by your performance," he said, stepping forward. "I work for Masamune Records and I think that Sephiroth may be interested in your band."

"How-e-ver," Larxene stressed, "He'd probably want to hear your music for himself and even if we're his better workers," Reno snorted here, earning him a kick in the shin, "He'd also probably want to send a few more people to judge your ability and quality."

"So what she's saying is," Marluxia continued, "That it isn't an absolute guarantee. If Reno can get you to play at Rhapsody's Rapture and if you get a lot of positive feedback, then you'll have a good chance."

A smile slowly made its way on all of their faces, "Sweet," Sora said oh-so-intelligently.

"See, you ought to thank me, yo, for bringing these two idiots down to listen to you guys," Reno gloated.

"We'll thank you if anything comes out of it," Axel replied smoothly.

"Man, I get no respect!"

"That's because you don't earn it and you act like a dumbass," Larxene stated.

"Well said!" Axel crowed.

"_Anyway_," Sora emphasized, "Shall we finish packing and head home?"

"Yes to the first but no to the second," Reno grinned, "We ought to go out. Y'know, have a mini-celebration for possibly making it to the mainstream," when the members of the _Faithful Sinners _and their technical crew all gave him an incredulous look at once, he hastened to add, "My treat?"

"Well if you put it that way. . ." Axel's eyes glinted, "Then I'm in."

"All right, we'll all go!" Demyx said eagerly.

The rest of them nodded in agreement, some reluctantly (Roxas in particular) and started to finish up packing their equipment. In a few short minutes, Axel's car was loaded with their stuff and he suggested they drop it off at his apartment first before taking a cab into downtown. And so it was that the nine of them were seated in a rather pleasing bar called Castle Oblivion. Reno ordered a round of drinks for everyone and the night was certainly only just beginning.

————————————————————————————————————

Hours later, Axel dragged a slumped over Reno out of the bar and out onto the street. Demyx could hear him mutter curses under his breath and he had to smile. The only ones that were completely unaffected after the night's partying was Axel (surprisingly) and himself as the both of them only had a couple of drinks then refused anymore. They knew that they would have to watch the others and make sure they didn't do anything stupid that would endanger themselves or others. Larxene and Marluxia had left early, maybe an hour after they sat down. Roxas and Riku were a little tipsy and Sora was downright smashed. He was giggling like mad and Riku had to hold him up, preventing him from sliding onto the floor.

Demyx turned to Axel as the redhead attempted to hail a cab, "D'you think it'd be all right if all of us crashed at your place?"

"Yeah, actually, I think it'd be for the best."

Demyx nodded his assent just as a taxi pulled up next to the sidewalk. "Help me with him." The blond moved forward to aid Axel in getting Reno into the car. It took a couple of bumps and twists but they eventually got him in. "I'll take Reno and Roxas and you can take Sora and Riku; we can't fit six in here."

"Of course, no problem."

Axel helped Roxas into the car and got into the passenger's seat before waving, "I'll see you in a bit, then."

"Yeah, later." Demyx watched the car drive away before hailing another. This time, it didn't take as long. As he helped Riku and Sora into the car, he saw a short stature, slate-haired man across the street. He was shocked to see that it was the Coffee Guy but. . . what was he wearing? Tight black leather pants and an equally form fitting corset-like vest which revealed much of his abdomen under a fishnet shirt. There was a man standing next to the Coffee Guy and he was leaning in appreciatively. Even if Demyx was rather far away, he could tell that the other man's eyes were raking Coffee Guy's body hungrily, lustily.

Coffee Guy was a _prostitute_? But—

"Demyx, let's get going!" Riku groaned from inside the car making Demyx snap his neck towards the silver haired man.

"Sorry!" He glanced back towards the other side of the street and he was even more startled to see that those enchanting violet eyes were staring back at him. They blinked and turned away, focusing back on their potential customer. Demyx shook his head and quickly got into the car. "813 Postern Avenue, please."

"Got it."

The cab pulled away from the curb and Demyx couldn't help but try and get another glimpse of Coffee Guy before the driver turned the corner. He was confused, shocked, and somewhat unnerved. Groaning, he covered his face with his hands and took a deep breath then let it out slowly. Maybe he just needed to sleep. Yeah, that's it. Demyx continued to chant his excuse in his head until he got to Axel's apartment. But despite his attempt of forgetting the sight of Coffee Guy as a prostitute, it only grew more vivid. Lovely.

When the car pulled up next to the curb, Axel was there waiting for them. Apparently he had dragged Reno up the stairs somehow and had left his brother and Roxas upstairs. He helped Riku and Demyx with Sora who was only now starting to feel nauseous, and they slowly and carefully made their way up to Axel's apartment. Once inside, Riku lugged Sora to the bathroom where he could proceed to heave out his innards.

Roxas was already sleeping on Axel's bed and Reno was sprawled across the couch. There were several blankets and pillows strewn across the floor as make-shift mattresses and Axel gave him an apologetic look. But Demyx didn't really mind. He checked on Riku and Sora and when Riku insisted that he'd look after the smaller brunet, only then did he make himself comfortable, opting for the armchair instead of the floor. He sighed and closed his eyes and almost instantly fell into a deep slumber.

————————————————————————————————————

"Roxas! Why didn't you tell me we had to get that for Lit??"

The spiky haired teen looked guilty and said half-heartedly, "I forgot?"

"I'm going to have to read _The Fountainhead_ in two days, damnit! Two days!!" He groaned loudly and banged his head against the wall. It was Monday morning and Roxas and Demyx just had their Literature class. Moreover, Demyx just found out that he needed to read _The Fountainhead_ by Wednesday which, when he thought about it, shouldn't be that difficult but he also had a calculus test to study for. This was _so _not happening.

"Why don't you just head over to _Bookkeeper's Secrets_? I'm sure they have it in stock. And, well, do you have any classes that you can afford to skip?" Demyx glared hard at the shorter blond who cowered a little at the intensity of it. "I'm really, really sorry, okay? I'll make it up to you somehow, I promise."

He whined softly, "It's fine, I'll just. . ." He trailed off, "Yeah." Roxas gave him a pathetically sad look and Demyx simply _had_ to forgive him. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Roxas nodded slowly and Demyx gave him a small smile before sprinting off to the courtyard to buy a huge novel that he needed to read in a little over twenty-four hours. He reached the courtyard in record time and immediately spotted the bookstore and jogged his way over. Once inside, he automatically headed for the literature section and froze when he got there.

It was the Coffee Guy. And he was calmly shelving books at an alarming speed. "Uh. . ."

Coffee Guy turned towards him and if he was shocked at all to see Demyx, he hid it extremely well. "It's you."

"Uh, yeah." Demyx suddenly felt extremely awkward, "Umm, could you tell me where I can find _The Fountainhead_ by Ayn Rand?" He asked, shifting from foot to foot.

Coffee Guy stared at him for a long while making Demyx squirm under the scrutiny. He turned and started to walk away but before Demyx could open his mouth to say anything, he heard Coffee Guy say a single word, "Come." And Demyx followed.

Today, Coffee Guy was wearing the same attire as the very first time Demyx saw him: a white short sleeve collared dress shirt and black slacks. He also had black wrist bands and a necklace with a lock hanging from it. One could never tell that this man had another job—a not-so-reputable job—at night.

"You look different," he blurted out without thinking.

Coffee Guy looked over his shoulder and locked eyes with Demyx who blushed in embarrassment. "I wouldn't be able to walk a single block without at least five people hitting on me if I wore what I had on that night."

Demyx opened his mouth, then shut it, then finally said, "I suppose."

He rolled his eyes, "Here," he handed Demyx a copy of _The Fountainhead._

"Oh! Thank you!" He took the book from him and Coffee Guy started to walk away. "Wait!"

He stopped and turned around, eyebrow raised. "I, uh. . ." Demyx scuffed his foot on the floor, at a loss for words.

"Are you going to say something or not?"

"Well, I, um, was just wondering if you could maybe tell me your name?" He asked hopefully.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest, "For what purpose?"

"'Cause I only know you as the Coffee Guy and I don't think that's really demeaning at all." He said the last bit of it sarcastically.

Demyx saw the corner of the other man's lip twitch and the blond rejoiced inwardly that he had almost succeeded in making him smile. Or smirk. Or whatever.

"Zexion," he said after a long pause. "It's Zexion."

Demyx smiled, "Nice to meet you, Zexion. I'm Demyx." He held out his hand for a shake and Zexion stared at it for quite some time before finally taking it. "Well, uh, I guess I'll see you around then," he said, back to his awkwardness. Zexion didn't say anything but simply nodded, seemingly a little reluctant.

He waved happily and headed for the front of the store to purchase his book. As he walked out, he couldn't help but smile broadly.

Zexion, huh?

**————————————————————————————————————**

******End notes:** Damn, this is like nearly twice as long as chapter two. o.0 And there's your first real interaction between Demyx and Zexion. Yay! Finally, right? I hope it turned out all right.

Okay, so the songs. They are all by Alice Nine. The first one (during the courtyard scene) is called "Eraser"; the second one (when they're rehearsing in the band room) is called "RAINBOWS"; the third and final one (during their concert in Destati) is called "MIRROR BALL". All were translated by yours truly with a little help from one of my friends. Were the songs too much? Hmmm. . .

I do hope that I've kept everyone in character. Please tell me if I didn't. Also, I'm not sure when the next time I'll be able to update. Let's just hope it's relatively soon. crosses fingers

And lastly, PLEASE REVIEW!! It makes me happy! I'll give you virtual cookies, so please?


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